


Never too Late

by Misstrekkie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Gay, Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Past Abuse, Physical Abuse, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-15
Updated: 2021-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22270408
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Misstrekkie/pseuds/Misstrekkie
Summary: Satori Tendou didn't take the right risks when he was in high school and now he feels overwhelming alone. Could a chance encounter after months leave his world reeling into chaos or lead him to safety.
Relationships: Tendou Satori/Ushijima Wakatoshi
Comments: 42
Kudos: 141





	1. Reunited

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write this for my wonderful Discord server. I wanted to write something they would enjoy for a ship that doesn't get enough love. I love you guys, I hope this story brings you all of the feels.
> 
> This will be a bit of a roller coaster for everyone but I promise it will have a happy ending just bear with me.

Satori sighed as he leaned back on his bed watching the volleyball game that was currently playing on his tv. He didn’t know why he insisted on torturing himself like this; he hadn’t seen Ushijima even once since they had graduated, and they hadn’t had a chance to talk in several months. Not that Satori blamed him or held it against his once best friend. He was busy with practice for the Schweiden Adlers and from what Ushijima had said the last time they did get to talk; he had no social life. Satori smiled a bit at the memory and shook his head, of course Ushijima didn’t have a social life, he hadn’t had one of those in high school either. 

Satori picked up his phone and thumbed through the contacts before finding what he was looking for. Aside from Ushijima, there was only one other member of his old team he had ever been friends with and at least they hadn’t lost contact. He quickly text Semi to see if he was watching the match before going back to watching his tv. Ushijima had become a regular member of the team fast which was no surprise to anyone who had ever seen him play in a match before, what frustrated Satori was that everyone seemed so perfect together. It wasn’t like in high school, this was a well-oiled machine and Ushijima fit in with them. He wondered sometimes if the setter would be able to keep up with him for the long-haul, especially since Oikawa had heard where Ushijima would be playing and ran away. Did Ushijima ever bothered the pretty boy about how he should have played for this team like he had about their schools? 

Satori’s phone buzzed beside him breaking him out of his thoughts. On the screen, small black letters read out a rather disappointing message. ‘I am stuck in class.’ Before he could type a response, his phone buzzed again with another message from Semi, ‘How’s our Miracle Boy doing?’ Satori couldn’t help but smile thinking about all their good memories seeing that nickname again. ‘They are ahead right now with-’ He paused and looked at the screen to double check the current score. ‘20-15 in the third set.’ He watched Ushijima closely before standing and stretching, going to grab something to drink from his kitchen. 

His apartment was small and nothing to really write home about, but it was decent. It had a living room he rarely ever used and a kitchen, plus the one bedroom and a bathroom. It was only him though, so it worked. Any more space than that and he would have to figure out how to fill it. With the size of this apartment he could get away with the fact that the only real decorations he had were photos on the walls of him and his old team and a few newspaper and magazine clippings either of Shiratorizawa or of Ushijima now that he was playing pro. He made sure to immortalize what was important to him. 

Running his fingers through his unruly red hair, he hopped up on the counter making sure he could still hear the commentary as a familiar feeling bubbled up in his stomach. It wasn’t loneliness per se, he knew what that felt like seeing as he had spent his early years alone. This was more so the feeling of wistful longing; He regretted the way that things had ended and longed to make amends for the part he had played in it, he longed to see his friends again, and to play volleyball with them even one more time. Satori knew it was nothing but a pipedream, but it didn’t keep him from getting like this every time he saw a game. That gym had been his paradise, volleyball was the one time he felt alive. “There you have it folks! The up and coming hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi secures the team another set! These guys are unstoppable!” 

Satori hopped down from the counter and quickly grabbed a water bottle before heading back to his room. On the screen, members of the Adlers’ were high fiving and hugging Ushijima who looked mildly disturbed by all the affection, making Satori snort a bit. He froze staring at the screen as Ushijima happened to look into the camera and for just a split second, he was so sure that Ushijima had looked right at him. His expression didn’t change, it was the same tight-lipped no nonsense look he always had but, in that moment, Satori’s stomach tightened, and he swallowed hard. Without thinking he picked up his phone and text both Semi and the last number he had for Ushijima in hopes that it was still right. ‘MIRACLE BOY WAKAAAAATOSHI!!! How about we all get together to celebrate you?’ As soon as he hit send, he could feel the knot in his stomach tighten and he stared at his phone in horror. “Maybe it is a wrong number, maybe he will ignore it.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satori stared at the sign to the restaurant that the three men had picked to go to for their little celebration. He was still quite frankly in shock that Ushijima had responded as soon as the game had ended and agreed to meet up with them at least for a little while. Since none of them were 20 and therefore could not legally drink yet the plan was to have a nice meal and chat before the 3 of them went their separate ways seeing as Semi had class in the morning and Ushijima would have more practice in the afternoon. Satori glanced around and grinned spotting Semi waiting outside staring at his phone. “Semisemi!” Satori called out, bounding up the steps with his long legs before dramatically jumping and landing in front of the shorter ash blonde male. 

Semi audibly sighed and glanced up at Satori giving him a look of disdain for the nickname before cracking a small smile. “It’s good to see you too.” He admitted as he gave his friend a handshake. 

Satori noted that Semi looked beat, college life had worn him down already. “I see your attitude hasn’t changed much Semisemi.” He looked him over quickly before smirking. “At least your fashion sense has gotten better.” He teased. Semi was currently in a white tee-shirt and jeans with a black jacket and beanie covering most of his hair. “You look like you are in a boy band.” He remarked.

Semi shrugged, “There are worse things I could do for a living.” He said rather nonchalant. “How have you been?” He asked, leading the wild male into the restaurant. He figured the pair of them could at least grab a table before they got too busy and wait for Ushijima to arrive.

Satori just managed a small shrug as he followed Semi. “I have been alright.” He said a bit softer than usual. “I didn’t expect time to go by so quickly after we graduated. I miss that gym and our old monster of a coach.” He said giving a bit of a grin.

Semi looked at him and shook his head. “Don’t tell me you are getting all sentimental on us.” He said sitting at the table they had been escorted to before texting Ushijima to let him know where they were. 

Making a dramatic gasping sound, Satori grabbed his chest and looked at Semi he had wounded his pride. “Getting sentimental? I will have you know that I was always sentimental!” He smiled a bit. He knew he was a very loud individual and he enjoyed teasing and annoying his teammates, but he was also liked to think that wasn’t the only way that people chose to remember him. 

“I guess the guess monster does have a heart in there.” Semi remembered clearly that Satori had been the one to try to cheer up Goshiki when he had started crying. “How is work going? You don’t talk about it very often.” Semi wasn’t even sure that he had ever heard what Satori was doing these days. 

Satori made a displeased face. “I am looking for something else. I just don’t feel that I am a fit where I am now.” He said placing his chin on one of his hands. “Maybe I should have focused more while we were still in school. You went to college, Wakatoshi went on to play volleyball professionally, and here I am still struggling to figure myself out.” He said a bit dejected. “Maybe I will just go start a bee farm.”

Semi raised an eyebrow but remained silent. He was pretty sure at this moment, what Satori needed was the chance to just ramble, though he would certainly give him hell about the beekeeper comment when he wasn’t having an existential crisis. 

“I just don’t know what I would be good at. I don’t want to play volleyball anymore, it wouldn’t be the same, and I don’t want to just do a job that gives me money.” Satori kept his head in his hand as he looked over the menu in front of him. “I think my family is just impressed that I managed to graduate from school.” He glanced at Semi again and found him watching him in silence. “You know I left. I just packed up my stuff and got out of there. We had a bit of a falling out.”

Semi nodded. “That became a rumor when you just kind of disappeared. Now, if you want my opinion, I think you would do well in a place where you have contact with people and can make them feel better. Try entertainment or go to school to be a doctor or a nurse.” He said calmly. “Even in high school you were a very dramatic person and you enjoyed entertaining people. Try out for local theatre and see how you feel about that.” 

Satori paused as he thought about what Semi had just said. “I mean, I can give it a try. It’s better than just sitting around my apartment wishing that I was doing something more.” He said a bit excited. “Do you maybe have any connections that I can use?” He asked cheerfully. 

Semi gave a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose before shaking his head. “Look, I might know a few people, I will talk to them tomorrow and get back to you. Try making a few of your own contacts and don’t rely on me too heavily but I will see if I can’t at least help you get a foot in the door.” Semi said bored now. He picked up his phone hoping that Ushijima would be here soon so that Satori would have someone else to talk to. He knew those two had grown apart over the last few months and he was curious how their reunion would play out. “The super ace should be here in just a few minutes. He just got off his train.” Semi stretched and waved down their waitress so he could at least get the drinks on the table by the time their friend arrived. 

Satori felt a lump in his throat the moment he heard Semi say that Ushijima would be there soon, and he suddenly felt as though he had forgotten how to breathe. He could tell that Semi was trying to ask him a question, but it sounded like he was underwater. He couldn’t do this; he couldn’t face Ushijima because he wasn’t prepared to face the truth that he had kept hidden for so long. Suddenly he was on his feet trying to think of which station Ushijima would have taken and which way he would need to go to get home in order to avoid seeing him. 

“Hey Satori, are you feeling okay?” Semi asked watching Satori confused and concerned. Satori had this look in his eyes like a wild animal that had just been cornered. “Satori?” 

Satori looked at Semi, “I-I am sorry, I need to go.” He said making his way to the front exit. He should have known better than to show up here, it was foolish to think that he could do this. As he reached for the door, it opened from the outside and he found himself looking at a familiar figure. He looked larger than the last time Satori had seen him, he had not slacked on his workouts or training, that much was obvious. 

“You’re staring at me.” A plain voice cut through all his thought leaving him standing awkwardly in front of the door to the restaurant. 

Satori gave the best grin he could come up with as the butterflies erupted in his stomach. “Magical boy Wakatoshi!”


	2. Butterflies

Satori sat at the table with Semi and Ushijima, bouncing his leg repetitively as he glanced between the other two males. Conversation between those two had long since lulled and he was afraid if it stayed quiet, they would hear his heart as loudly as he did. He was sure for those two it was a comfortable silence, but it was driving him insane. Before he could open his mouth to say anything, he felt a foot nudge him from his right and glanced over to see Semi looking at him confused. He could tell that the blonde knew something was up, but he couldn’t seem to pin exactly what it was. Quickly Satori shook his head to try to help ease his friends mind about his odd behavior. 

“So, Wakatoshi!” He said a bit louder than he had planned due to the nervousness that had just bubbled up again. “What do you think of the team you are on now?” He just wanted to get a conversation going so that he could get dinner over with. He wasn’t sure his heart could handle several hours of this. 

Ushijima glanced up at him and put his silverware down as he thought. “They are alright. There is potential in the group.” He said after a moment. He didn’t say anything else as he picked up his silverware and continuing to eat. 

Satori looked as though he wanted to smack his forehead, but he kept his composure. It was nice to know that even after all this time had passed, Ushijima was still the same lovable clueless puppy he had always been. 

“Hey Ushijima.” Semi interjected. As the redhead glanced at him, he could tell the cogs in Semi’s head were turning and he was planning something. “Just before you got here, Satori mentioned that he feels like he is just kind of here. He wants to find a job that is a good fit for him. I suggested he try theatre since he enjoys singing and entertaining people, but I am curious to hear your opinion.” 

Satori could have sworn in that moment Semi had devil horns sticking out of his head and he had never been so glad he was pale before because he could feel the color drain from his face, but he looked at Ushijima again. 

To his dismay, his eyes locked with Ushijima as the muscular male studied him with those olive color eyes that always seemed so stoic. “Perhaps you could try your hand at writing your own manga. You used to enjoy reading those.” Ushijima commented. He didn’t really know how manga worked, he had only read one once and that was at Satori’s pushing and prodding, but he knew that was something that Satori enjoyed, and it followed Semi’s thoughts of entertaining people. 

Satori sat there, blindsided by the revelation he was having. First, Ushijima had actually paid attention to things he liked back in high school, and second, he was an idiot for not thinking of that himself. “That is a great idea Wakatoshi!” He said getting a bit excited now. “I could try my hand at being a manga artist and see where that takes me!” There was a spark in his red eyes that hadn’t been there since the last game the three had played together against Karasuno. 

Semi smiled a bit seeing how excited he had suddenly gotten and turned his attention back to his food. He couldn’t help but notice that Satori’s leg had finally stopped bouncing. It was like those words from Ushijima had melted whatever anxiety he was feeling. “I don’t have any contacts to help you with that one, but I will be rooting for you all the same.” Semi said nodding. He had a feeling that Satori would be happier with that job anyway. 

Satori nodded. “I will just have to work at it until someone gives me a break.” He said optimistically. Volleyball had been his paradise and now it was gone. He could find a new paradise now and Ushijima had helped him find the right direction to look in. “Thanks, Magical Boy Wakatoshi!” Satori said happily. He only earned a nod in reply but that was good enough for him. 

The rest of the meal passed by rather uneventful. Semi and Ushijima traded stories of different things that happened with their new friend groups while Satori listened to them, envious of every word that came out of their mouths but happy for them all the same. Eventually Ushijima glanced at his watch and wiped his mouth with his napkin. 

“Thank you for inviting me out but I need to leave. I have to catch a train back and get some rest for practice in the morning.” He said as he stood taking the check the waitress had set down in front of him. 

Semi paused for a moment when Ushijima spoke and looked at his phone before nodding. “Yeah. I have some homework I should work on before it gets too late. I am glad we could all get together again. We should try to do this once a month if you aren’t too busy Ushijima.” 

The quieter male nodded and headed towards the front to pay. 

Semi glanced at Satori, who still hadn’t moved. “Are you going to stay here for a bit or are you headed out?” He asked curious. Seeing how he had tried to run out before Ushijima got here, he found it amusing Satori wasn’t the first one out. 

Satori shook his head. “I am going to stay for a bit. Good night.” 

Semi nodded. “Let me know when you get home.” Semi said as he turned to leave. He always worried about Satori. The red head enjoyed getting on people's nerves and pushing buttons so it wouldn’t be that surprising for him to get into a fight on his way home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satori fell onto his bed with a groan as his head finally stopped spinning. He started laughing to himself as he realized he had survived dinner. Rolling over, he punched the air as he cheered out loud before hearing his neighbor hitting the wall to try to shut him up. “Hey just because you are a lonely old crone who can’t be happy doesn’t mean the rest of us can’t be.” He retorted as he glanced at his side table, the small clock there read 7:30 PM. That wasn’t too late, he still had time to run an errand if he hurried. He stood and stretched, feeling several pops come from his back. He trudged down the hall to his kitchen to make a list of what he needed to pick up from the store and left. The walk would only take about 10 minutes at this time of the day and if he hurried, he could get home before 8 and catch the interviews on the sports channel. 

Pulling his jacket around him tightly, Satori yawned and headed down the street, he lived in a decent neighborhood, so he wasn’t concerned about being out once it got dark. He was more upset that the temperature was starting to drop, and he didn’t want to be out in the cold. “Keep on breaking them! What, you say? Their hearts! Keep on shattering them! What, you say? Their spirits!” Satori sang to himself as he walked. Now that he had seen Semi and Ushijima both he was in a bit of a reminiscent mood. He smiled and did a little dance as he walked. 

His trip in the store was quick. He had only come down here to make sure he would have breakfast and dinner for the next few days, he wasn’t really a big eater so a little went a long way for him. He perused the aisles grabbing things that would be easy to carry home that he could eat. Bagels and muffins made good breakfast options while ramen made for a filling dinner. He made sure to grab some chocolate ice cream before heading to the register. Cold or not, he had loyalty to the mightiest of desserts. He paid before venturing back out into the cold. Not long after he left a familiar voice reached his ears from an alley way. 

“Come on out.” The voice said in a patient tone. “You don’t have to be afraid.” 

Curious and concerned Satori took a detour down the alley to see what was going on. The sight he found was enough to make him laugh out loud. “Wakatoshi-kun, what are you doing?” Before him, on the ground in the dirt, was Ushijima, with his face smooshed up against the cold brick building to his left as he peered behind a dumpster. He looked like a child that was trying to reach a toy that was just out of reach and it was adorable. 

Immediately the young man turned his head and looked Satori over like he was appraising him for something, causing Satori to involuntarily take a step back. “Your arms are longer and lankier. Come help me.” He instructed before turning his attention back to whatever he was looking at. 

“Uhm...” Satori looked confused but didn’t argue as he stepped towards Ushijima. “What are you looking at?” He asked as he knelt next to Ushijima. “And what are you doing out here, I thought you needed to catch a train...” 

Ushijima carefully moved out of the way so that Satori could take his spot. “I was.” He said plainly. “But then I thought I saw a dog running down the middle of the road, so I followed it.” He said his tone never changing. 

Satori blinked at his friend before glancing behind the dumpster. In the corner, shaking like a leaf, dirty, hungry, and scared was a small dog. It couldn’t have been larger than a volleyball. “So... You chased a dog?” Satori asked. Ushijima nodded watching him. “For 5 miles?” He asked earning another nod. Satori couldn’t help but laugh as he reached back trying to get to the dog. “You are a strange one Wakatoshi-kun.” He couldn’t help but feel his heart racing in his chest from how adorable that was though. 

After a moment of coaxing the dog and contorting his arm eventually Satori was able to make purchase and grabbed the pup by the scruff of its neck. “Got it!” He said excited as he turned the butterflies exploded in his stomach. The look on Ushijima’s face made this all worth it. He looked so much younger now as he reached out to pet the puppy. 

Happily, he took the baby in his arms. The poor thing was filthy and underweight, but Satori had to imagine it would be the most adorable dog if someone took care of it. “So, are you going to take it with you and make it your mascot?” He asked. With the way Ushijima was staring at it and the fact he followed it for several miles, surely, he wanted to keep it. 

Ushijima furrowed his brows deeply and looked at Satori. “I can’t have a pet where I stay.” He said as he started thinking. After a moment he held the puppy out to Satori. “You take him.” He said with a finalized tone. 

Satori looked at him with wide eyes. “Me?” He asked confused. “You were the one that wanted him though.” He knew he wouldn’t win this argument. He was going to cave so that Ushijima would be happy. 

“I can’t take him, and we can’t leave him alone, he will die.” Ushijima argued trying to carter to the kind side of Satori he knew was in there. “I will help pay for him and visit him when I am free.” 

Satori stopped as the wheels in his head started moving. Ushijima had just offered to visit... And regularly at that. If he took in the dog, he would have an excuse to see Ushijima all the time. The dog could keep him company and he wouldn’t lose Ushijima again. “Alright, alright. Keep your money, just make sure you visit.” He said taking the dog and standing up. “Come on. You might as well crash at my place and leave in the morning, it’s getting late.” 

Weighing his options, Ushijima nodded silently and followed Satori. Who knew when the next train would come and the rumors of unsavory people hanging around late at night didn't sit well with him. He could just stay with Satori and leave around 4:30 in the morning.


	3. Marshmallow

Satori frowned as he rubbed his eyes. He couldn’t figure out how he had gotten himself into this situation. He had let Ushijima sleep at his house and got no sleep thanks to the dog that kept whining and scratching at his door all night. Now he was running late to work, and he knew his boss was going to be mad. “This is just my luck.” Satori whined as he got onto the train holding his coffee in his hand. He still had a lot of things on his mind that he needed to flesh out too so that he could try to make a career change and he wasn’t getting anywhere with his thoughts. 

“Did you guys see Ushijima’s twitter account this morning?” A kid near him asked a group of peers. He sounded so excited to have a piece of gossip to tell everyone around him. 

Satori couldn’t help but tune into the conversation as he drank his coffee. Sometimes he tended to forget that after obtaining his ‘celebrity status’, Ushijima had allowed himself to be peer-pressured into using social media from time to time now. He remembered in high school when the big lug didn’t even know what Facebook was and smiled to himself. Everything was changing around him and if he didn’t catch up, they would leave him behind. 

“Wait, seriously? My mom and dad took my phone because of my grades... What did he say?” One of the boys asked excitedly. It was clear he hadn’t heard it anything about his post but admiring the silent giant, he wanted to know everything. 

“He mentioned that two of his old high school teammates took him out to dinner last night to celebrate the game. He talked about being grateful knowing that he has people behind him from before he got big! We have never really seen things from his life before and now out of nowhere he is talking about his friends!” 

Satori couldn’t help but smile, sure these were impressionable kids and they were probably paraphrasing what Ushijima had said but it still felt nice to know that Ushijima had mentioned him and Semi.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Satori reached the travel advisory office he worked for not even an hour later and sighed as he took the elevator to his floor. This was far from the job he wanted but it was something he could do that paid the bills, right now it was detrimental that he have this job. Satori was a trip advisor that specialized in creating vacations that young couples could enjoy, recently the owner had added honeymoons to his list of specialties. The assistant coach at Shiratorizawa had introduced Satori to the owner of the company as a way to help the award redhead at least get his foot in the work force since he had never decided what he wanted to do after college, and the owner had loved Satori’s spontaneity and sometimes flighty attitude. He had told Satori that kind of attitude would really help to get the youngsters on board with their company. Not everyone in the company felt the same way, in fact his direct supervisor absolutely hated him. Satori’s boss was a pig of a man. He was a greasy fat slob that made female employees uncomfortable and ran male employees off as quickly as he could. That’s why he hated Satori so much, Satori was a wild card and not easy to scare off or push around. Satori was a threat to what he had been building so he had waited, deciding to bid his time until the inevitable day that Satori would mess up. 

He knew that today wasn’t going to go the way he had hoped though, when he heard his bosses voice other the clicking and the shuffling of papers the minute he walked in the door. “Satori, I want to see you in my office. Now.” The prick finally had exactly what he needed. 

He clenched his jaw to keep from saying anything as he trudged towards his boss's office. With this being the first offense to ever come from the young man most other bosses would have simply told him not to do it again and went about their day. Satori had a good work ethic; he had never been late before and though his heart wasn’t in the work, he did his job well. The tone his boss was using though said that Satori was about to be fired. “Yes sir.” Satori tried to disguise his disdain for the man behind a polite façade. 

“Care to explain to me why you are 20 minutes late?” The short pudgy man scoffed. 

Satori glanced at the clock on the wall, was this seriously about to be the end of everything? It wasn’t even an hour. “I had a rough night. A friend needed my help, so I didn’t sleep the best and I woke up late. I am sorry sir it won’t happen again.” 

“You’re right, it won’t.” The other man said with a hint of hostility in his tone. “Because you have been let go.” He said shoving a piece of paper into Satori’s hands. “Clear out your desk and get out of my office.” 

Satori looked at the paper and then back at the man. He felt his lips turn up into a smirk as he nodded. “Thank you for the opportunity.” He said before he reeled back and sucker punched the prick in the face, most likely breaking his nose on impact. “I have wanted to do that for months. That is for messing with the ladies and making their lives a living hell. All the evidence I have gathered on the ladies’ behalf will be released now that I have been terminated.” He said bitterly as he turned and left the office. 

A few of the women looked at Satori nervously as he approached them, they knew what had just happened. “In Emiko-san’s desk drawer there is a file, give it to the higher ups, all the way up if you can. Tell him that Satori told you to give it to him and that it is vital that he reads it. Insist he do so in front of you. That will end all your problem's ladies. You are going to be just fine.” 

Emiko ran to her desk and hurried to the elevator wanted to get this done quickly, maybe if they got rid of him, Satori could come back. “You are a good man.” One of them said. 

Satori grinned at her and shook his head. “Nah, I have an image to uphold.” He waved goodbye and left. Since he didn’t have anything of a significant importance at his desk, he didn’t bother to clear it out. 

Once he was outside away from everyone, he ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. This was rotten luck. His rent would be due soon and he had just adopted a puppy. A new job wouldn’t get him a paycheck for at least 2 weeks and even if the owner rehired him, the date would start over. “Maybe Semi will know someone that needs a roommate. Or I can crash with him until I can get a new job.” He shook his head. That couldn’t work, Semi already had a roommate so he would just be in the way. Trying to figure out what to do next, he slowly drug his feet back towards the station. 

The train ride and then walk back to his apartment was silent but he felt relief when he finally walked in his front door. Now that he was alone and no one could see him, he could have his mental breakdown in peace. As Satori collapsed onto his couch, he covered his face with his hands, what little adrenaline that was keeping him composed was gone now and his anxiety began to eat away at him; could he take care of himself and a dog with him now being unemployed? How long would it take him to find a new job? Going home was out of the question and he didn’t want to burden his friends with this. It felt like Satori was drowning as the cold and unwelcomed embrace of a full-blown anxiety attack tried to take him. He could feel it was getting harder to breathe, and his mind was becoming muddled until he couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of his heart. Suddenly something cold and wet was touching his cheek causing him to jump and looked to his right through the tears filling his eyes. Sitting on the back of his couch, nose pressed against his cheek was the little white fuzzy ball that he and Ushijima had rescued last night. He could hear now that she was whimpering trying to get his attention as she touched his face. 

Within seconds Satori had the puppy wrapped up in his arms as he pressed his face against her recently washed fur. “Thank you, Marshmallow.” He whispered to the puppy. He laid on the couch holding on to the puppy as he drifted to sleep.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
He felt himself jerked awake by a frantic knocking on his door and the small dog in his arms barking at it confused and upset that someone was bothering her human. Still holding Marshmallow in his arms, he rubbed one of his eyes and stood going to the door. As he opened it, Semi and Ushijima both stood staring at him. 

“Dude, what the hell?!” Semi raised his voice; he looked a bit worried and angry. 

“What?” Satori asked confused. He glanced at his clock but only grew more confused when it read 30 minutes after he had fallen asleep. 

“You haven’t answered any of my texts or phone calls.” Semi said crossing his arms over his chest clearly irritated at his friend. “You had me worried, so I skipped class and went to your office where I was told by the receptionist you got fired yesterday.” 

“No, I got fired today.” Satori said still confused by the whole situation. 

Semi pushed his phone towards Satori and that is when he realized him is anxiety fueled depression, Satori had slept for 24 hours. “Oh...” He said stepping back into the apartment. “Come on in.” 

Semi glanced at Ushijima, who was silently watching the scene and the pair stepped inside. “So, care to explain what the hell happened?” Semi asked as he sat down. He couldn’t help but be worried, disappearing for 24 hours wasn’t exactly healthy. 

Satori sighed as he ran his fingers absentmindedly over the puppy’s fur. “I was like... half an hour late for work, if that, and my boss fired me. I mean he has been looking for a reason to get rid of me since the day I started so I am not surprised. I just had hoped I would have something else lined up before I finally got the boot... I did break his nose before I left though.” He couldn’t help but smile a bit knowing that the damn creep had gotten exactly what he deserved. 

“And you didn’t think to call someone for help?” Semi sounded offended that Satori hadn’t trusted him enough to call him and talk about this. “Because clearly it is bothering you.” 

“What was I supposed to do Semi. So, I call you up and then what?” Satori didn’t really express a lot of his emotions; he didn’t like feeling vulnerable. “I can’t just give up the dog so asking to crash with Ushijima was out of the question and you already have a roommate. I will figure it out.” He was lying of course. The money was the exact reason he was feeling like this in the first place. His final paycheck would cover his rent but that would be about it, what about groceries and his other bills? “I don’t need help and I don’t want to just talk about this. I will figure it out.” 

“You still could have stayed with me Satori. It is better than being alone and making your friends think you went and did something stupid. Why are you so stubborn?” Semi stood and left the apartment. He needed time or he might say something that he didn’t mean because of his own emotions. 

Satori watched his best friend leave and sighed. “Great... Just great.” He said as the dog hopped out of his arms and went to Ushijima before glancing back at Satori and then up at Ushijima. 

Glancing at the dog, Ushijima felt like she was trying to tell him something and he tilted his head to the side before looking at Satori. 

“Don’t offer me money to pay for Marshmallow. She is my responsibility.” Satori said the second he felt Ushijima’s eyes on him. 

Ushijima nodded. “Then I will be your roommate.” 

Satori looked up at Ushijima as his heart stopped for a second. “You’ll do what now?”


	4. Domesticated

Satori sat on his bed, his long legs tucked under him as he sat crisscross on top of the covers, staring intently at his phone which was sitting in front of him on the bed. It had been two weeks since the last time he had talked to Semi and things hadn’t ended on the best of terms. He kept hoping that Semi would text him out of the blue so that he wouldn’t have to start the conversation himself but it didn’t happen. Now there was so much he wanted to tell Semi about living with Ushijima and how his job search was going but they still weren’t speaking... He needed to apologize before things could go back to normal. With a sigh he grabbed his phone and pulled up the chain of messages from Semi, the last several of which were the light-haired male freaking out because he couldn’t reach Satori for a full 24 hours. He thought carefully before he finally started typing his text to Semi. ‘Hey, I hope you are doing okay. I know it has been a while and that you have been waiting for me to grow a pair and message you. I have no excuse for the way I have behaved but I really can’t take the silence anymore. I know I hurt your feelings by not messaging you about what was going on and I am sorry for that. I miss you and your weird K-Pop fashion choices Semisemi. Can we just go back to being friends again?’ He hit send without proof reading and tossed his phone to the side before he fell back on his bed staring at the ceiling. He knew he had a deadline that he had to meet but he couldn’t seem to focus. Satori was the first to admit that he was not a very social person so to not have access to one of the few people that he deemed a friend hurt him a lot. A few moments passed as he studied the bumps of his popcorn ceiling when he heard a rhythmic buzzing to his right. He looked over and noticed that his phone’s screen had lit up and he sat up quickly as he snatched his phone up. After unlocking the screen, his eyes took a moment to adjust before he could make out the small black text on the screen. 

‘It’s about time you finally manned up and messaged me. Ushijima doesn’t give very good updates and I have been getting bored. And don’t call me that.’ 

Satori smiled brightly seeing the text from his best friend. ‘Ooooh, do I have stuff to tell you. First you should tell me just how much you have missed me and then I can give you all the juicy details that come with rooming with Magical boy Wakatoshi!’ He hit send and it felt like a wave of relief had washed over him. Semi didn’t even seem upset with him. 

‘First of all, no. Second of all, if you are this excited to gossip why don’t you meet me for coffee. I am at the café down the road from your place that has the really good specialty cakes so I could work on my essay. Might as well get you out of your house for a bit.’ 

Satori smiled and stood. His back popped several times as it adjusted after him sitting for too long. ‘It will be nice to see you. I will be right there, make sure to save me a piece of cake!’ He didn’t even bother trying to hide his excitement as he pet Marshmallow. “I will be home soon girl and then I will take you on another walk. I am going to see Semisemi.” 

The small white ball of fluff barked at him happily and curled up near the door showing that she would be waiting for him. 

He smiled as he pet her quickly. “Who is a smart girl?!” He praised as he grabbed his jacket and slipped his shoes on before leaving the apartment. Ushijima was at practice and wouldn’t be back until late so he didn’t bother leaving a note or texting him to let him know he would be out. 

The weather outside was nice; it was a bit on the chilly side but the sun was out and there weren’t any clouds in the sky. Satori walked in a calm silence as he planned on what to tell Semi first. There was job information but he also wanted to let him know what it was like having Ushijima as a roommate. Things were starting to look up now and Satori couldn’t wait to tell his friend. 

As he opened the door and stepped into the warm café, the chime on the door announced his arrival and several of the barista’s greeted him as he glanced around looking for Semi. Spotting the ash blonde male hunched over working on something, Satori approached. “Semisemi.” He smiled as he watched Semi stand and gave him a hug. 

“Next time don’t be so hard headed and message me faster.” Semi mumbled as he released the hug and sat back down. “Now, what is it that you were so excited to tell me?” He asked as he began to work on his homework again. 

“I am glad you asked.” Satori said sitting in the chair across from him. He reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folded-up piece of paper. “I have been looking into a career change after talking to you and Wakatohi last month. I finally heard something back and I wanted you to be one of the first people I told.” He said handing the sheet over to Semi. 

Semi looked excited for the briefest of moments before his more serious expression took over and he found himself reading over a proposal. As the words sank in, he couldn’t help but smile. “An internship...” He said glancing back at Satori. “So, you get a chance to write your own manga huh?” He asked handing the paper back. “That is exciting, I am really proud of you.” Semi said trying to make sure that his friend knew he was being praised. “I am glad you were able to get your foot in the door.” 

Satori smiled and nodded. “It won’t be easy. They said they tend to be very picky about the manga that they publish but they want to see what I can do.” Satori said happily. “I haven’t decided what it will be about yet but I am sure I will come up with something soon.” He had a few ideas he was bouncing around in his head it was just going to be a matter of picking one out and getting it on paper. 

Semi nodded understanding his plight. “I know that isn’t the only thing you want to talk to me about. So, go ahead and spill.” 

“Right!” He said trying to keep himself from freaking out. “I am sure that Magical boy Wakatoshi told you he moved in with me, right?” Satori watched the silent nod confirm his thoughts but paused. He didn’t really know what to tell Semi now that he had started the story. “I am surprised by how easy it is to live with him.” Satori said leaning forward with his head in his hands. “It’s weird though you know? I mean, it doesn’t feel the way I thought it would.” 

Semi looked up at him with a half-bored expression. “So, when are you going to tell him that you like him?” He asked completely nonchalant about the whole situation. 

“T-tell him wh-what now?” Satori stuttered as he turned as red as his hair. He forgot just how observant Semi actually was when it came to the people around him. 

“Look, you have had a thing for Ushijima since high school and honestly I can’t stand watching you pining after him. It’s just... it's hard to watch.” He shook his head when he watched him flinch. “Not in the ‘That’s disgusting’ way... You get all soft when he talks to you and you try so hard to hide it but it doesn’t work. It is hard to watch you trying to be someone that you aren’t.” Semi said closing the laptop as his eyes bore into Satori. “I am going to out you or anything like that, don’t worry.” 

Satori continued to stare at him nervous and confused. “I-I don’t know what you mean.” He said as he cleared his throat trying to will away the blush on his cheeks. “He is just one of my good friends, there is nothing going on.” 

Semi nodded. If Satori wanted to stay in the closet about all of this, there wasn’t much he could do to stop it. “Alright, alright, whatever you say.” He said calmly as he opened the computer back up. “What ideas do you have right now for your manga?” He asked, changing the subject to something a little less taboo and personal for his friend's sake.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
Satori and Semi spent the next several hours talking and catching up and before they knew, it the sun was setting. Satori glanced out the window and jumped to his feet before looking at the time on his phone. “Oh... Crap. I need to get home. I need to take Marshmallow out and I still need to work on part of my story before I go to sleep. It was really good to catch up, let’s not avoid talking that long again.” He hurried out of the café and headed home. He didn’t know how he had managed to lose track of time that badly but he needed to get home and get things taken care off before Ushijima got home. He wasn’t sure how the stoic male would react if he saw that Satori hadn’t done anything today while he was helping out by paying for stuff they needed. “Shit.” He repeatedly muttered to himself as he skipped steps to get to his apartment faster. Once he reached the door to his home, he could hear noises coming from the other side. That meant Ushijima was already home. He opened the door slowly and peaked in only to have his heart end up in his throat. 

He could see into the kitchen from where he was standing and noticed a shirtless Ushijima standing next to the stove trying to read a recipe. His hair was wet and pushed away from his face with a towel draped over his shoulders revealing that he had just got done with a shower. His sweatpants hugged his hips leaving not much to Satori’s imagination. He could only imagine how red his face was as he pulled his head back and quietly shut the door. His heart was pounding and his face felt like it was on fire while he started pacing. As if it wasn’t bad enough that Semi had called him out for his feelings for his old ace, now that same man was parading around half naked in Satori’s apartment. ‘Calm down Satori.’ He silently reprimanded himself. ‘You aren’t some teenage boy anymore, keep it together.’ He took a deep breath before entering the apartment. “Sorry I am late; I was catching up with Semi and lost track of time.” He heard his voice crack but tried to keep from reacting. He swallowed hard and tried to wipe his sweaty palms off on his jeans as he kept frozen in the entryway, looking everywhere but at Ushijima. 

Ushijima glanced over his shoulder at Satori and nodded before turning back around to face the stove. He didn’t seem to be upset in the slightest as he focused on the task at hand. “I got back a bit early so I walked Marshmallow for you and decided to make dinner. It should be ready soon.” He said calmly, clearly not noticing the gay crisis his roommate was having. 

Satori just nodded not sure what else he could do as he stood there awkwardly. “Cool.” That was all he could think of to say as he quickly moved further into the apartment and out of sight. He went into the bathroom and locked the door behind him before he turned on the sink and began splashing cold water on his face. He leaned against the counter staring at his reflection while he breathed a bit heavier than normal. As if it weren’t hard enough leaving with the person he had feelings for, and pretending to just be platonic, now Satori was witnessing Ushijima being domestic which was completely new for him. He slipped out and into his bedroom suddenly not feeling very hungry as he hugged Marshmallow to his chest. Sleep was not going to happen tonight and he knew it.


	5. Big Green Guess Monster

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING  
> There is mild abuse at the of this chapter which will lead into the next chapter!

Satori frowned as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. He slapped his cheeks lightly as he took a deep breath. He didn’t know why he was so nervous. Ushijima had asked him to go with him while he shopped for new volleyball supplies, it wasn’t that big of a deal. Ushijima thought Satori needed to get out of the house instead of locking himself away in his room to work on editing nonstop and though he didn’t play volleyball anymore, he knew that the ‘guess monster’ still had a love for the sport. Satori’s conundrum came from the fact in his head, it felt oddly like a date. They were going to the mall together and Ushijima had insisted they get lunch while they were out. It was innocent, just one friend helping another... So why didn’t his brain let him see it that way? ‘We are friends Tendo, it’s fine...’ He reminded himself mentally as he left his room, tugging on the sleeves of his hoodie. ‘Wakatoshi just wants to spend time with his friend...’ Satori took a deep breath and walked out of the apartment. 

Once the lanky redhead locked the door, Ushijima looked at him and pushed off the wall standing at his full height. “Ready?” He asked. Sleep still clung to his voice making it lower and more gravely. He watched as his friend picked at his sweater and furrowed his brow. “Are you feeling unwell?” He asked as he walked a bit closer to Satori. If he wasn’t feeling well, maybe he should reschedule their outing for another day. He didn’t want him to push himself and just make himself sicker. 

Satori quickly shook his head as he rubbed his neck, laughing a bit nervously. “No, no. I am fine. I was just thinking about some stuff that I need to take care of later tonight, it’s not a big deal. We can go.” He said quickly trying to not admit to anything on accident. Ushijima nodded and lead him in the direction of the mall while Satori trailed a few feet behind him letting himself get lost in thought. Ushijima had been an amazing roommate so far though he felt bad the taller male was stuck on the couch rather than getting his own room. If their apartment as bigger, or he made enough to get one of the larger flats, he would have gladly given him his own room. Of course, the thought crossed his mind once or twice to let Ushijima just share his room, but that always resulted in him choking on his drink and becoming a blushing idiot. How long would Ushijima stick around? He knew he would leave him eventually but he didn’t want it to be anytime soon. 

His thoughts were cut short when he suddenly heard a female giggling nearby and his head snapped around to see a petite brunette female with big brown eyes, twirling her hair around her finger as she watched Ushijima. He hadn’t noticed Ushijima stop and was now about ten feet from him but he knew what this was. He felt his stomach completely drop and he clenched his fists, not liking the feeling that was boiling up in his chest. He shouldn’t have been jealous, if he didn’t have the courage to talk to Ushijima, there was no reason someone else couldn’t try to make their intentions known. It didn’t make the jealousy go away though as she moved in closer to Ushijima, making Satori narrow his eyes. 

“I bet you are an amazing player.” The young woman said as she reached out and lightly touched his bicep as she continued to smile at him politely before looking down shyly. “I would love to come see you play sometime. I could cheer for you.” She looked up at him through her eyelashes. This girl was way too smart for her own good, she definitely knew what she was doing as she continued to try and flirt with the confused looking male in front of her. Either he had no idea what she was doing or it made him increasingly uncomfortable. Either way, her behavior was beginning to make Satori ill and he had to support himself on a nearby railing. 

“We have games on most weekends.” Ushijima said gently pulling away from her touch. “I am unsure of the price of the tickets but I believe the team would enjoy having another fan.” He said completely clueless to what this young woman was thinking she was doing. Ushijima was a stranger to her and yet she was touching him like she had been dating him for a while now. Satori had to bite his lip to keep from laughing. The young woman didn’t seem deterred by Ushijima’s apparent disinterest though and he watched in disgust as she once again let her hand gently rest on his forearm as she smiled at him warmly and he looked down confused. “Please do not touch me.” He requested in a dry voice; his displeasure was starting to show through. 

The girl pulled her hand back and faced him completely before giving a slight bow, either she was desperate or a great actress. Either way Satori didn’t like her or the games she was playing with his best friend. “I am sorry Ushijima. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. How about after your next game, we grab a bite to eat together? I would love to make it up to you.” She said smiling at him sweetly. The whole interaction made Satori’s stomach knot up as he turned ready to walk home alone, he couldn’t handle watching this anymore and if people were just going to spend the whole afternoon falling over him, he wanted no part in any of this. “I could give you my phone number and we could make the plans.” She said reaching into her bag for a pen. 

Ushijima frowned and shook his head. “I apologize. I believe that I am beginning to see that you are misinterpreting my being nice for being interested. I am sure you are a nice person but I do not have time for a relationship. My volleyball career is my primary focus and I can’t allow myself to be distracted. Have a nice afternoon.” He said before turning and continuing to the mall. Both Satori and the girl stood there shocked. Ushijima had just rejected the meticulously planned advances like she was nothing more than some fan girl. Satori turned to her and smirked before sticking his tongue out at her as if to signal that he had won some unspoken competition. He felt an ache in his chest at his reason for turning her down but fought to ignore it. 

“Tendo.” Ushijima called out over his shoulder when he realized the red head was not right behind him. 

“Sorry Wakatoshi!” He called out as he jogged to catch up to the brunette. The use of his family name felt painful but he wasn’t sure why he had suddenly used that name instead of Satori which he had used all through high school, was he that upset about the girl trying to flirt with him? The memory that Ushijima had let her down filled him with a sense of joy but, unbeknownst to the stoic male, his own feelings had been shut down too, leaving him stuck somewhere between jealousy and sadness. He stayed with Ushijima trying to bury his feelings deep inside himself. ‘If you can’t even tell him the truth about how you feel than you have no right to open your mouth to whine that he doesn’t want a relationship.’ He yelled at himself mentally. 

“What is wrong?” Ushijima asked as they entered the mall. The male by his side wasn’t singing or rambling on happily so Ushijima knew something had happened, even if he didn’t admit to it. 

“Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about what I need to get done tonight so that I can meet my deadline.” He lied as he smiled at Ushijima. “So, why did you turn that girl down? She was cute and she was definitely into you.” It hurt to tell Ushijima that but, maybe if he knew what she had done wrong he could try to learn from her mistakes in the future. “I know how much free time you have, you could technically date someone if you really wanted to.” He said softly. The jealousy began to fester again at his own pushing. He had just watched someone touch Ushijima and try their hardest to get him to take them on a date. He mentally prayed that Ushijima just kind of shut him down and didn’t want to talk about this. 

“I am not interested in someone like her. She knows nothing about me and based her attempts of flirting on my appearances and my fame. Those can be stripped away in seconds. If I am going to tear my time between volleyball and a companion, it is going to be someone who has an interest in me for something more than that. Someone who knows me outside of the fame.” He said, his dark eyes staring Satori down. 

Satori gave a small, nervous laugh but nodded as he looked at him. “I see.” Was all he could say. Did that mean that he stood a chance getting a date with Ushijima? He certainly knew Ushijima better than most people and he couldn’t care less about the fact he was a big shot in the volleyball world. He just enjoyed Ushijima’s company. 

Ushijima nodded and led Satori through the mall to the shop he was looking for. He seemed content that Satori accepted the answer he was given and didn’t realize there was still more on his mind. “We won’t be too long.” Ushijima informed Satori as he began examining the shoes they had on display. “Then we will got get lunch.” He said calmly. “Try to think about what you would like to eat.” He instructed as he picked up one of the shoes trying to decide if those were the ones he actually wanted. 

Satori couldn’t help but laugh before he nodded and continued to watch silently. The serious attitude he took when doing anything for volleyball was adorable. He was so focused and everything had to be perfect. It was something that drew him to Ushijima really, he had a feeling he would take a romantic relationship just as seriously. “Hey Ushijima, after lunch how about we go and spend some time together at the-” 

“Tendo!” A stern male voice cut through the shop shutting him up before he could finish asking Ushijima for more quality time together and Satori immediately reached out to grab his sleeve. He knew that Ushijima wouldn’t know what was happening or how to help but it felt good to have that comfort. Especially with how scared he suddenly felt. 

‘Just ignore him, he will go away.’ He said as his hand began shaking and his eyes blurred from the tears that filled them with the memories. He could feel multiple eyes on him as he tried to keep himself from panicking. 

“Tendo, do not ignore me.” The man sounded more aggressive and much closer he could feel his heart rate elevate and he turned trying to run out of the store, to get home as quick as possible and lock himself up where he could be safe but when he made a move to escape a tight grip grabbed him and jerked him back, damn near dislocating his shoulder in the process. Satori could feel everyone’s eyes on them now, some in horror, some in pity but no one spoke up. The silence in the store was deafening as the man’s hand grabbed Satori’s face forcefully and he squeezed painfully as he made Satori look at him. 

There was so much hatred in the red eyes that stared back at Satori and he couldn’t hold the gaze for long before he looked away, “Hello father.” He whispered in defeat.


	6. Chocolate Ice Cream and Drinking Your Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE, DEROGATORY PHRASES, AND UNDER AGE DRINKING

“What the fuck do you think you are doing ignoring me you ungrateful little bastard?” The older male spit as he gripped his face hard enough he could feel his teeth hurting and threatening to break. Those red eyes turned to look at Ushijima with a sneer but before he could say anything, Satori spoke up.   
“Leave Wakatoshi out of this.” He warned. Even if he was terrified of his father, he wasn’t going to let him do anything to the brunette. He felt his father dig his nails into his face and held his hand up to stop Ushijima from getting any closer. The brunette was a celebrity now, if he attacked Satori’s father, he would go to jail and he could lose his position on his team. Everything he had ever fought for would be gone just like that.   
Ushijima’s eyes narrowed and a deep frown was etched on his face. He looked at the other people in the store. Everyone was just watching in silence as this grown ass adult man handled his son. No one was trying to save Satori or stop the fight. No one even looked like they were calling the police.   
The older Tendo grabbed the front of Satori’s hoodie and back-handed the young man with his right hand, hitting him hard enough to throw him to the ground.  
Satori landed on the ground and just laid in a heap, not daring to move as he gripped his face. He could feel the bruise that had already begun to form on his face as blood trickled from his nose. This wasn’t the first time that his father had hit him and he knew that without a doubt, since he had managed to find him after all this time, this wouldn’t be the last time either. It was the first time he had been ballsy enough to hit him in public, in front of so many witnesses though. He wanted to cry, he wanted someone other than Ushijima to help him but no tears fell and no one extended their hand to him to save him. He could feel the hatred rolling off of the brunette behind him.   
Satori’s father knelt down beside him and grabbed a fist full of his hair, ripping his head back. “The fact that you are still openly flaunt that you are a pillow bitter after the last time means I didn’t beat enough sense into you.” He said in a sickeningly sweet honey voice that was dripping with venom. He used his grip on the red hair to drag him to his feet, jerking him in the direction of the door.  
Ushijima moved to follow after them as soon as the older male jerked his son around. He had a feeling in his stomach that if he let them leave together, he would never see Satori again and that feeling made his stomach knot up. He couldn’t lose Satori, not now that he was back in his life again.   
“Stop Wakatoshi!” Satori said quickly when he heard feet shuffling behind him. He was in pain and tears were welling up in his eyes but he couldn’t let him do what he was trying to do. “Don’t get hurt for me.” He pleaded as he gripped his hair, trying to keep his father from ripping it out.  
“I said be quiet.” The older male snarled as he raised his fist ready to hit Satori again.   
“What the hell do you think you are doing?!” An angry male voice asked before the pressure on Satori’s head was finally released. “Ushijima, call the police.” The new voice barked.  
Satori looked up weakly as he fell to the ground and found a familiar tall and athletic ash blond standing between him and his father. “Semi?” He asked softly as he reached out and grabbed at the seam of his pants.   
Semi nodded. “Don’t worry, we are gonna get you out of here, me and Ushijima.” He said seriously as he stared down the now fuming male. “You will not lay another finger on Satori, do you understand?” He asked, challenging him.   
“And what will you do if I do? He is my son after all. If I feel I need to teach him a lesson that is my right as his father.” The older male moved like he was going to try to force his way past Semi but found himself staring face to face with the human wall that is Ushijima Wakatoshi.   
“The police are on their way and you will be taken into custody. There are plenty of witnesses that saw what you have done, if you touch him, I will use necessary force to stop you.” Ushijima warned as he stood protecting Satori.  
The redhead gently rubbed his scalp as he sat up. “Guys, come on, it’s not worth it. Let’s just leave him here and go home. Please.” He begged. His father had a silver tongue and deep pockets. It didn’t matter what the three of them tried to do, he would by the silence of everyone that had seen anything and try to make it sound like they were just a couple of crazy millennials that were after his riches or some bullshit like that. He wouldn’t win against that, there was no way.   
“Shut up Satori.” Semi snapped, his eyes staying on the man in front of him even as he reprimanded his friend. “I don’t care who the hell he is or what anyone else here thinks. I am not going to sit here and let him have a chance to get away with this anymore.” He said firmly.   
Ushijima knelt next to Satori and frowned as he studied his face. “I apologize Satori. If I hadn’t brought you out here today then you wouldn’t have run into him but I am going to make sure you get home safe.” He said awkwardly patting Satori’s back. He wasn’t very good at the whole human emotion thing but he was going to do what he could for him. It seemed to calm the other though, no matter how awkward.   
The older male rose his eyebrow as he sneered. “I am beginning to see he is a lost cause.” He said as he straightened his suit jacket up. “Enjoy your ill-advised victory Tendo. It won’t last.” He said coldly as he turned and left the store. The words sent a chill down Satori’s spine but he stared at the floor silently.   
“I don’t think so.” Semi said, ready to chase after the creep.   
“Don’t.” Satori begged as he kept ahold of Semi’s pants. “He really isn’t worth it.” He said, his voice dull and emotionless.  
Semi frowned deeply but knelt down helping Ushijima pull him to his feet and support his weight. “Let’s get back to your apartment… I think it is about time for you to explain the circumstances behind your mysterious disappearance after graduation.” He glanced at Ushijima. Originally he had intended on chewing him out for not stopping the scene he had walked in on but he could see the hatred in Ushijima’s eyes and knew that the socially awkward gentle giant was already doing that for him.   
Satori just nodded as he used the other two as support. He glanced back at the shoes that Ushijima had picked out abandoned on the floor and it server as a reminder that today was supposed to be a good day but everything had just been ruined.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Semi frowned as they got Satori back to the apartment. The red-head had said nothing the entire way back. He glanced at Ushijima not sure what else to do, he needed him to talk to them, to tell them everything but he looked so broken, would he be able to say anything? “S-“   
Ushijima shook his head to cut Semi off and made his way to the kitchen. He was going to fix him a bowl of ice cream but ended up grabbing the carton and a spoon taking it to Satori. He had noticed before that when he was upset he tended to eat the frozen treat. “Eat and when you are ready we are here to listen.” Ushijima said, his voice was on the monotone side but the look in his eyes said that he was holding back his real feelings. He didn’t want to scare anyone with how angry he was. Sure, Satori was odd and he could be a lot to handle but there was no reason for anyone to treat him that way. He had a big heart and he cared about people. Maybe the saying was true… The saddest people always smiled the brightest. He could feel his finger nails digging into his hands as he tried to hide his anger. He blinked and released his grip when he felt someone elbow him. Glancing to his left, Semi was shaking his head. Maybe he hadn’t been hiding his anger as well as he thought that he had.   
“This isn’t the first time that this has happened. I could tell by your reaction. Why didn’t you tell any of us? You know we would have tried to help you.” Semi tried to push just a little more. “You are our friend.” He reminded as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other. He didn’t know how to help Satori if the other male wouldn’t talk to him.   
“What did you want me to tell you?” He asked as he continued to eat the ice cream, needing something to calm his nerves. “’Hey guys, my dad has been beating the shit out of me for years because I am gay?’ That wouldn’t have sat well with anyone on the team and coach might have kicked me off of his perfectly planned team.” Satori said refusing to meet their eyes.   
“Who gives a damn what the old man wanted? Satori, he could have killed you!” He pointed out as he knelt down in front of the taller male. He didn’t want to think about his best friend not being here anymore.   
Satori shook his head gently. “I wouldn’t have been able to play volleyball with you and Ushijima anymore if the old man had made that call. Sure it sucked what was happening to me at home but… Volleyball was my paradise. It was how I escaped from all the bad stuff that was going on when I was alone.” He said finally looking at Semi. “I am fine it isn’t a big deal. I just have to be careful when I go out alone. He doesn’t know where I live.” He said standing slowly patting both boys on the shoulder. He didn’t need them to worry about him anymore than they already had.   
Ushijima frowned and grabbed Satori’s arm carefully. “Perhaps it would be best for us to at least look into switching to a different apartment just in case. He could have seen where we went.” He said trying to convince the redhead to let him help a little bit. “And maybe you should tell someone that you trust what has happened.”  
Semi nodded. “It’s a bad idea to keep it all locked up inside like this. It will eat away at you until you aren’t the same person anymore.” The ash blonde male advised as he watched Satori closely. “You know that neither of us are going to judge you or treat you differently because of any of this right?” He asked as he watched the red head stalked to the kitchen going into one of the cabinets and pulling out a bottle of liquor. He knew none of them were old enough to legally drink but… He had no intentions of pointing that out to him right now. If this was what he needed, so be it.  
Satori poured a glass of the amber colored liquid and stared at it for a moment. “If I am going to spill the beans, I am going to need a couple of drinks first.” He quickly downed the glass before sitting on the couch. “Alright…”


	7. If Love was Poison, Would You Still Drink It?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING FOR ABUSE!!

Satori rubbed his face as he sat on the couch trying to choose his next words very carefully. He knew that Semi and Ushijima both had tried to make it clear that they were there for him no matter what but this was still something that was impossible for him to talk about and it made him sick just thinking about revealing everything to them. “Alright... Before I get started fully, there is something you need to know about me. I am gay. I am sure that doesn’t come as a shock to anyone really but, I haven’t come out to anyone but my dad and well... We saw how that went.” He gave a self-deprecating laugh as he rubbed his face, leaning his head back so that he could stare up at the ceiling. 

“It wasn’t always like this.” Satori said softly not realizing that it sounded like he was getting ready to defend his dad’s actions. “When I was a kid, my dad was super strict and would raise his voice to yell at me but he never put his hands on me. That part didn’t start until I was about 16. I came out to my mom and dad, I told them I knew that I liked boys and my dad lost it. He started screaming and yelling, called me every derogatory name he could possibly think of, and beat the hell out of me with everything he could get his hands on.” Satori’s grip on his own shirt tightened as the memories came flooding back to him. 

“I tried to pretend to not be obvious that I was gay and kept my head down trying to not draw attention to myself. It didn’t work for long though. In our second year, I put up the picture of our team that was taken at nationals. You know, the one where I had my arms around Semi and was throwing up the victory sign... My dad assumed I was dating Semi Semi because friends apparently should never be that close to each other. He... pulled a gun on me and threatened to kill me if I so much as looked at a boy while he was around. He couldn’t have someone like me tainting the family name.” He took a deep breath trying to calm himself down. 

“Over the course of three years my father managed to cover me in bruises, break two bones, burn me, cut me, and try to starve me. He threatened to shoot me, drown me, and give me up for prostitution since I wanted men to look at me anyway.” He shivered as his last statement made his skin crawl. “Today was really nothing compared to a lot of the other attacks he put me through.” A nervous laugh escaped his lips and since his gaze was focused solely on the carpet, he couldn’t see the fury and rage in his friends’ eyes. He didn’t know what to think or expect. He had never told anyone this story before and he was scared, he didn’t want either of them to abandon him now that they knew his deep dark secret. 

Semi was fuming and wanted nothing more than to pay Satori’s family a visit. His father wasn’t the only one that deserved to be behind bars in his opinion. There was no way Satori’s mother couldn’t have known what was happening in their house. That meant that she had just let her husband physically assault their son. She was one of the worst kind of mothers imaginable. Satori sighed to keep his anger in check and glanced at Ushijima. The normally stoic male might be better at talking to Satori in this situation but when he looked at the brunette, his breath caught in his throat out of fear. 

Pure rage. That was the look on Ushijima’s face: hatred and a need for vengeance. They had been hurting Satori for so long and no one had noticed... None of the teachers, the coaches... No one on their team and least of all himself. He should have seen that Satori was being hurt and at least tried to do something about it but he didn’t. His fists were clenched tightly, turning his knuckles white as his nails dug into his hand. 

Hearing nothing from either of the men with him, Satori looked up and flinched a bit. He could practically feel the murderous intent rolling off them both as he reached out and grabbed Ushijima’s hand. As the larger male jerked his hand away from Satori, the redhead recoiled away from the reach of his arms afraid that Ushijima would hit him now. 

“Woah, Satori, no, calm down.” Semi said kneeling next to their friend touching his arms to help ground him and remind him exactly who was in the apartment with him. “Neither of us are going to hurt you.” He stood and quickly shoved Ushijima towards the bathroom. “You need to go calm the fuck down.” He hissed before returning to his spot on the floor in front of Satori. “You are safe. We would never hurt you, and you should know that by now.” He couldn’t stand seeing the fear in those ruby eyes. “I honestly can’t say the same for the fate of your mom and dad. I would love to give them a taste of their own medicine.” He stated as he ran his thumbs over his best friend’s hands in soothing patterns. 

Satori shook his head as his eyes darting in every direction avoiding eye contact like the plague. He knew if he looked at Semi right now, he would just break down and no one needed that, he wouldn’t be able to stop the pair from hunting his dad down if he started to cry now. He had to hold himself together for the sake of all of them. “They aren’t worth it Semi and you know it. I just hoped that I was finally free of their grasp and now they managed to find me, just when my life was starting to finally look up.” 

Both men looked up quickly hearing a crash from the bathroom and scrambled to check on Ushijima and make sure everything was alright. Satori was the first one to arrive but his hand hovered over the light switch, not daring to hit it yet. 

Ushijima was standing hunched over in the darkness shaking his hand a bit like he had hurt it. He was breathing heavily giving him an animalistic appearance. From the little bit of light shining in from the hallway, Satori could see the reflection of what looked like hundreds of diamonds covering the counter, sink, and floor around Ushijima. “Wakatoshi?” He asked worriedly as he finally flipped on the light revealing the source of the shimmering and crimson red liquid on the wall and running down the sink. “Wakatoshi! What the hell were you thinking?!?” Satori’s heart dropped into the pit of his stomach as he took ahold of Ushijima’s hand to begin to clean him up, ignoring the hole in their bathroom mirror for now. 

“What the hell Ushijima?” Semi growled as he looked at the other man. He hadn’t expected something this reckless or violent from the normally docile giant. Ushijima wasn’t known for necessarily understanding social cues or even emotions but... He had never shown this side of himself to anyone. Semi couldn’t remember him ever coming across as an angry person. He had always seemed more bored and distant. 

“Wakatoshi, you have to be more careful.” Satori said as he carefully cleaned the small shards of glass out of his hand, ignoring everything else. He was so focused on helping Ushijima that he didn’t seem to notice the fact that he was holding the spiker’s large hand in both of his. “You are lucky, you shouldn’t need any stitches. Give me a minute and I will take care of this.” He said as he grabbed rubbing alcohol out from under the sink as well as the first aid kit. 

Ushijima grunted in response and looked away from Satori. He was still shaking but he wasn’t entirely sure if that was from his anger or the fear that was coursing through him thinking of how the already nervous man was going to react to such a thuggish reaction. Would Satori distance himself from him now? 

“Why did you even come in here and punch a mirror?” Semi asked him as he leaned against the door frame with his hand on his hip. “The old team would be shocked to know how big of a brute you are.” He pointed out as he watched Satori pour the strong-smelling liquid over Ushijima’s hand. 

“I was mad.” Ushijima said simply as he stared at the ash blonde male, his eyes baring into him. He had been more than just mad. Mad was an emotion he had felt plenty of times. He had been mad to see Oikawa waste his potential at Seijoh, he had been mad when he realized how wrong he had been about Hinata. This was unadulterated hatred for someone he didn’t even know because of something that had gone on for years, right under his nose. 

“You don’t have to be mad on my behalf Wakatoshi.” Satori whispered as he carefully wrapped his hand in gauze and secured it. “You being mad doesn’t change what I have been through and it doesn’t make it go away. I will survive.” He said softly. If it hadn’t been for Ushijima and Semi both being there though, he wasn’t completely sure that he would have survived the day. 

Semi shook his head and went back to the living room with the pair once Ushijima’s hand had been wrapped. “I still don’t understand why you never told anyone. I know you said it was because of the volleyball team and not wanting to get removed from the roster but... I just don’t think that is the full story. I think there is something more to in that you aren’t telling us.” Semi didn’t necessarily want to poke and prod to get any answers from him but he also knew that without having all of the answers it would be impossible to help him move on and get closure. “So, what it is Satori? What kept you from telling us for 3 years?” He said cautiously. 

Satori looked down and pinched the bridge of his nose trying to do anything he knew of to keep the migraine that was trying to take hold of him at bay. “Look... It’s just...” He let out a deep shy as he buried his face in his hands to hide the tears. “If my own mother didn’t save me and didn’t care enough to protect me then why the hell would anyone from the school go out of their way to do so? I didn’t tell anyone because telling them would have only resulted in them calling my parents and me getting beaten probably to death. No one cares about the weird kids like me.” 

Ushijima frowned deeply as he studied the redhead. It seemed impossible to him that someone like Satori could have been overlooked by so many people just because he was a bit eccentric. He opened his mouth to speak but eventually closed it instead. There was nothing for him to say that could help his friend. Even if Satori had told him, there was no one he could have gone to that would have been a guarantee to listen to him. “No more secrets Satori.” He stated in a monotonous voice. “We are still a team and I have your back even if no one else does.” 

Satori smiled at him and nodded to hide the pain in his chest. That simple statement made him wish that he had told Ushijima back in school that he was in love with him. Maybe they could have run far away together and he would have been safe, but it was too late for that kind of thinking. He would only end up hurt in the long run. ‘You can’t say that Wakatoshi, it isn’t fair...’


	8. Better Than I Know Myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is dedicated to my friend geometricalien. Hopefully you enjoy some "not angst".

Satori looked scared and apprehensive but also hopeful and excited as he stood in the center of his living room holding a small box in his hands. The sender was the manga company that had taken a chance on him and the recipient was his name and address. He had never felt so scared to open a package before in his life. 

“You open it!” His voice broke as he shoved the box towards Ushijima placing it against his chest. “I need you to open it and tell me what it is, I can’t look.” He took several steps back and rocked back and forth on his toes just staring at Ushijima intently. 

The brunette rose an eyebrow at Satori’s behavior butt nodded known the less as he peeled the tape off of the box. He turned it over and a small paperback book fell out into his lap. Ushijima looked at the book confused and looked at the spine his eyes growing to the size of a saucer as he stared. 

Satori hurried over and snatched the book for him, holding it like it was the single most precious item in the world. “I... I can’t believe it.” He whispered as he carefully read the sticky note that was carefully attached to the cover. 

‘Mr. Tendo,   
I am pleased to inform you that the committee has read over your proposal for a new manga series and we unanimously loved it. We look forward to seeing more from you in the future. Welcome to the team.’ 

Satori sank to the couch as shock and joy filled his chest and he held the manga, his manga, close as he began crying. It was overwhelming the number of emotions he was feeling but the strongest was a sense of pride and accomplishment. “I can't believe I did it. They liked it Wakatoshi. They want more.” He tried to wipe the tears from his face but more took their place as fast as he could try to dry his cheeks. 

Ushijima tilted his head in confusion. “Isn’t that a good thing? Shouldn’t you be celebrating and not crying? You have been working so hard on your manga and they published it. Your hard work paid off.” 

Satori nodded. “I am not crying because I am sad, I am just... I am really happy Wakatoshi. No one outside of our friend group really thought I would amount to much, especially not my parents. I feel like I can face the world on my own now. I have done something successful with my life and it was all because you gave me the push in the right direction that I needed. Thank you Wakatoshi.” He said smiling at him. 

Ushijima looked at him a moment. It didn’t feel to him like something he should have been thanking him for. They had all been talking when he had simply suggested to Satori something he believed the redhead was suited for. “Why don’t we order take out and invite Semi over to celebrate you being a published manga writer?” He suggested. 

Satori smiled and nodded. “I can agree to that. Do you need me to grab anything? Do you need any help?” His eyes sparkled a bit at the thought of being able to celebrate with his friends, even if it was just dinner and talking about the “good ol’ days” or the future. 

Ushijima shook his head as he stood up and headed for the kitchen with his phone so that he could start cooking for the mini party. “Why don’t you just relax for once. Look over your manga or something. I can handle everything tonight.” His normal stoic voice was present but Satori could hear a hint of excitement as the calmer of the pair disappeared from sight. 

Satori’s eyes traveled back to the book in his hands and he tucked his legs underneath him as he sat on the couch opening to the first page. It was weird to see all of his hard work published in a book but it sent a warm feeling through his chest and it made him happy. Within moments he was sucked into the world he created.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   
“Wakatoshi! That smells amazing!” Satori said excited from where he was on the couch. He had been letting Semi read over the manga when he realized he could smell whatever Ushijima was cooking and it was divine. “How much longer with it be before we can eat?” He questioned as he leaned trying to catch a peak of what he was doing. 

Ushijima was standing at the stove with his back to Satori, blocking his vision was what was happening. The male was even wearing the apron that the redhead bought him after he had walked in to find Ushijima half naked in his kitchen. “Stop being so impatient.” Ushijima stated plainly as he closed the over. 

Satori huffed but sat back on the couch as he looked at Semi. “So? What do you think?” He accepted the book back from the ash blonde and cradled it against him as his red eyes studied his friend for any kind of hint of whether or not he liked it. As always however, Semi was blank faced. “Stop! The suspense is killing me, would you please give me something? Crack a smile, look disgusted, just give me something to judge off of you damn robot.” 

Semi rose his eyebrow at Satori and shook his head before giving a faint smile. “No, seriously, it is good Satori. Don’t question yourself so much. I could tell you were writing from experience when you were giving us details about the protagonist but that makes it more believable. I am proud of you. I know it doesn’t look like a lot but this one manga is the beginning of your story and I am so proud of how far you have come in such a short amount of time.” 

Satori smiled excited at that answer and dramatically threw his arms around Semi in a very awkward hug. “Awe, you were kind of worried about me weren’t you Semisemi?” He asked grinning at his friend. 

Semi’s face twisted into a look of mild disgust and he clicked his tongue. “Please forget I ever said anything.” Despite the words that left his mouth, he did return the hug. 

Satori was about to reply when he heard a knock on the door and his entire body involuntarily tensed up. He clung to Semi nervously as Marshmallow stood at the door barking angrily. Someone had upset her human and that wasn’t okay. 

The logical part of his brain told him it was probably just one of his neighbors but he was still terrified. They had switched apartments; they were in a bigger place... His father couldn’t have found him, could he? Trying to swallow with a dry mouth was hard, trying to stop Ushijima from going to door when he was already frozen in place was impossible. 

Ushijima checked through the peephole before stepping back and carefully picking up Marshmallow before opening the door wide. 

“Surprise!” Came a myriad of voices once the door was open. 

Satori blinked a stared at the members of their old volleyball team that had come by, “I... What are you all doing here?” He asked in shock as he slowly released his hold on Semi and stood up. He was too busy staring at the new comers that he didn’t realize both the brunette and blonde that had already been there looked so proud of themselves. 

“It’s a surprise party for you Satori. We all heard about your manga and those of us that could get out here did.” Goshiki said smiling up at his senpai. 

“It was Ushijima’s masterplan. He wanted to get a bunch of people who care about you together to celebrate with you Satori. You aren’t alone anymore.” Semi said as he walked up behind Satori and rested his hand on the taller male’s shoulder. 

Satori’s eyes traveled over the others who had joined them and came to rest on Ushijima. “You did this for me?” He asked a bit startled. How on Earth had Ushijima managed all of this without him realizing it? What kind of witchcraft was he using to be so cool? 

A faint blush worked its way over the brunette’s cheeks and he cleared his throat as he closed the door and set the white fluff ball down. “It was my idea but since I didn’t have anyone’s phone numbers, I had Semi message everyone.” He said as he scurried back to the kitchen. 

Semi couldn’t help but roll his eyes at their friend’s behavior. “I help in a very minimalistic way.” He said before looking at the others and bowing ever so slightly. “Thank you for all coming. I hope the train ride over was pleasant. If anyone wants to read Satori’s manga, he has a copy of it. Otherwise, get comfortable. We were just chatting as we wait for the food to be ready.” Satori was glad that Semi managed to take control of the situation because he was still in too much shock to know what to do or say at this point. 

A gentle chatter filled the room as everyone spread out to find seats or just explore the apartment. “Hey, Satori, where did you get all of these?” Goshiki called out to the redhead as he studied Satori’s new memorabilia wall. 

Satori looked over and smiled a bit. “Every time we played, I would get a newspaper or print out any articles that I find. I started it my first year and the habit just stuck with me. Once Wakatoshi went pro, I did the same for his games.” He said smiling as he reminisced. 

Reon walked up behind them and smiled as he looked over the wall pointing to a particular clipping. “I remember that game. You got more wound up than normal because the other team wasn’t taking you seriously and you insisted on getting a toss so that you could score against them.” He said smiling at Satori. 

The redhead pouted at the memory. “Hey, I don’t want to hear it from you Reon. You haven’t always been Mr. Keep Everyone Calm like the babies think. I remember games that frustrated you too.” He said seriously. “Wasn’t it at nationals one year that you threatened to fight the opposing team because they were too focused on Semi and he wasn’t feeling well that day?” He placed his hands on his hips and leaned in close staring at Reon. “Or does my memory deceive me?” He grinned at the other male and wiggled his fingers at him. 

Semi laughed as he joined them. “I remember that game. It was a rough one. I refused to tell Coach Tanji that I was sick. I didn’t want to get benched.” He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked over the wall and noticed a common theme. They all were from wins and most of them featured Ushijima specifically. Satori wasn’t the best at being subtle but it did help that Ushijima was pretty dense too. 

Goshiki looked between the older boys. “So, he has always been like that? You know, the whole ‘if you aren’t in peak shape you can’t play’?” 

Reon nodded. “I don’t think he will ever change either. He has always been tough on us and he will replace you if he doesn’t think you can handle it or if you show signs of being weak.” 

Satori nodded. “It ended up being a case of most of us hid things from him to make sure we could play still. We pretended we weren’t hurt or that we weren’t sick and the rest of us would pick up the slack for each other.” He grinned a bit. “It was like Tanji was the evil stepmom and the rest of us were helping to keep each other out of trouble.” 

Reon and Semi both laughed and nodded as the group migrated back to the couch. “That is definitely an accurate description.” Reon said as he sat on the floor so the others would have room. 

After a moment of peaceful silence. Goshiki looked at Satori and grinned. “I have an idea. How about after we eat the 5 of us play a little game of truth or dare.” 

Satori smiled. It sounded so juvenile but, it couldn’t hurt. “Yeah, okay I am down.” He looked at the others and slowly they all agreed to play along. “Wakatoshi! You in for some truth or dare later?” 

A moment later the brunette had entered the room with what looked like homemade fried pickles and he nodded silently. He didn’t see the harm in it, after all they were all friends.


	9. Truth or Dare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry it took me so long, life just kind of hit me like a train and I didn't have the motivation.

Satori looked at the other men sitting in a circle with him as he munched on the appetizer that Ushijima had brought all of them. “Alright, my turn.” He said looking around the circle. “Hmm...” He thought a moment, taking longer to add to the suspense and the drama, but also trying to pick someone whose reaction would be entertaining. 

“Oh for the love of- Satori, just pick someone already!” Semi said airing towards the side of impatience as he leaned against the couch, playing around with his phone. 

“Fine! God, you are such a spoil sport!” He stuck his tongue out before looking at the raven-haired male sitting across from him. “Goshiki! Truth or Dare?” 

The youngest male paled a bit knowing that Satori could have something bad up his sleeve. “Uhm...” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “Dare!” He said quickly before he could talk himself out of it. He hardly wanted to be known as the boring one out of the group and Satori had always seemed to like him so maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. 

Satori looked at the young man as he grinned mischievously, automatically making Goshiki regret his decision. “I dare you to... let me put lipstick on you.” 

Goshiki couldn’t stop the relieved sigh that escaped his lips. If makeup was the worst thing that the red head was going to do to him, he would take it a million times over. “Okay.” He said with a bit of a shrug, sitting still as Satori moved through the circle to sit directly in front of Goshiki with a deep purple lipstick. 

“You guys can continue while I do this.” He said as he got to work. 

Goshiki look around and as his eyes landed on Ushijima, he got a bit of an idea. “Ushijima-senpai, truth of dare?” He asked trying not to move his mouth too much, not wanting the cream produce all over his face. He wouldn’t put it past Satori to cover his face in lipstick just because he could. Satori hadn’t exactly specified that the lipstick would be going on Goshiki’s lips after all. 

Ushijima looked up when he heard his name and tilted his head a bit. “Truth.” The more socially inept of the boys had stuck to truth every time they asked him so far and from the looks of it, that wasn’t going to change. 

Goshiki thought a second before a grin made its way on to his face, he had an idea that he hoped the other boys would join in on. “Did you ever have a crush on anyone from the team?” He asked curiously. 

Ushijima rose an eyebrow and seemed almost antsy at the question, like he had something he was hiding. “I...” He didn’t really say anything, but his posture gave him away. As he realized the others were still staring at him expectantly, his forehead creased, and his eyebrows pulled together. 

Reon looked at Ushijima and tilted his head. “Oh my God, you did. I did not expect that coming from you.” He said almost sounding shocked by this new development but didn’t miss the brief look of pain that crossed Satori’s face. The red head was not nearly as slick as he thought he was when it came to covering up his feelings for their old captain. 

Ushijima cleared his throat. “Semi, truth or dare?” He asked as he got up and scurried back to the kitchen hoping to busy himself with the last of dinner preparations so that no one would pry into his dark secrets or spot the slight pink tint to his cheeks. 

Semi looked in the direction that Ushijima had gone. He doubted Ushijima would be able to come up with a dare, so he looked back at his phone, texting someone. “Truth.” He called out, knowing his friend would be able to hear him in the small apartment. 

Reon glanced at his phone before looking at Semi. His attention had definitely been drawn by whatever Semi had just sent him. 

Ushijima thought a moment as he worked on setting the table. “What is your biggest regret from high school?” He asked curious. He knew they all have some kind of regret, but Semi was the hardest to read. Without the ash blonde saying it himself, no one would ever be able to guess. 

Semi put his phone down and looked around at the faces of his friends. “My biggest regret? Not standing up for people and against people. I regret minding my own business when I thought something was wrong.” His eyes lingered for a moment on the male that had rejoined his side after covering their kouhai in bruise colored lipstick. “I never had hard evidence that anything was wrong with anyone, but you never know what you miss if you don’t watch. That will always be my biggest regret.” 

Satori and Ushijima both knew what Semi was referring to but neither male said anything, not wanting to worry or freak out the others. 

“Alright, enough of that solemn tone. Satori, truth or dare.” Semi made eye contact with the brunette that stood near the table and smirked. It was enough to send a chill up Ushijima’s spine and he stood awkwardly and rigid as his eyes traveled to Satori. 

The clueless red head shrugged. “Dare.” He hadn’t done any outrageous dares when it came to the others, so he felt pretty safe. 

Ushijima watched as Semi’s smiled twisted into a hellish grin. “I dare you to-” 

“Dinner’s ready!” Ushijima called out quickly. He didn’t want to risk Semi getting to finish whatever he was going to say and hopefully after dinner the group would forget all about the game and whatever that devil spawn had come up with would be long forgotten. 

“Oh! Hell yes. I have been waiting so long!” Satori didn’t eat much; he had the appetite of a bird but that wasn’t going to stop him from enjoying the dinner his roommate had made with his friends. “Anyone thirsty?” He asked as he grabbed that same amber colored alcohol and poured himself a glass. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That was really good Wakatoshi!” Satori announced loudly after having a bit too much to drink with dinner. “God, I love you guys. You have made tonight just... So good.” He wasn’t really slurring his words, but everyone could tell that he was drunk. “I’m gonna make a speech.” He said looking at everyone. 

Reon shook his head but smiled as Goshiki clapped, egging on the drunk. 

“I was sure after I graduated that all of you were going to leave me and I was going to be all alone again. It is what I am used to, so it is what I expected. Today I was shown just how wrong that assumption was.” Satori swayed a bit but held onto the table for support. “No one has ever really wanted me around, not even my own family, but you guys showed me what it felt like to have people actually enjoy my presence. That is why I will never be able to play volleyball again.” 

Semi shook his head. “Of course, we enjoy you being around you because you are our friend Satori. We picked to be around you for a reason.” He reminded his best friend. 

“Volleyball or not, you will always be our guess monster.” Reon reminded him gently. He had never been exceptionally close to the redhead, but it didn’t change the fact he was there now, and he was his friend. 

“Okay, enough wasting time. Satori, it was your dare and I expect you to keep up your end of the deal.” Semi said his eyes darting to Ushijima for only a moment. 

Satori smirked at the blonde. “I never back down from a challenge, you know that!” The liquid courage running through him did a lot to keep him from backing down even though he knew that Semi had something up his sleeve right now. He wasn’t an idiot; he could tell Semi was smirking and looking at Ushijima a lot. 

“Good, just remember, I don’t want to hear any complaints from you.” He said as he pointed to the broom closet near the front door. “I dare you to spend seven minutes in the closet with Ushijima.” He didn’t seem to hesitate or miss a beat with his dare, like he had been planning this all night, before they had even started. 

“Fine! I’m not scared!” Satori said making his way to the closet. “Come on Wakatoshi!” The slightly inebriated man practically threw open the closest door before cramming himself in the tight space. It was deceptively small inside, especially for someone tall like him but he managed to squeeze in the back corner as he waited for Ushijima to join him for a mildly ridiculous version of seven minutes in heaven. He couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the childish situation he was in but that didn’t stop the excitement that welled up inside of him at the thought of kissing Ushijima, even if it was just on a dare. 

Semi looked over at the tall brunette and grinned at him, all Ushijima could see was the face of Satan himself. “Have fun Ushijima. It is only seven minutes; it will be over before you know it.” He said motioning for him to follow Satori. 

Ushijima swallowed the lump in his throat as he too managed to maneuver his large body into the small closet, watching at Semi closed the door, plunging the pair into darkness. His hands felt sweating, he wanted to be close to him but, he was drunk, did that classify as taking advantage of him? Would he have wanted this if he had been stone cold sober? 

There was an unbearable silence between them before Satori finally spoke. “I am sure there is someone you would much rather be stuck with.” He breathed, seeming to sober up a bit. “I know that I am not the best candidate, but it makes me happy.” He felt around in the darkness until he managed to find Ushijima’s hand. Lightly, he ran his thumb over the soft skin on the back of the much larger hand he held in his grasp while he tried to fight back any other thoughts. 

Ushijima remained silent as he stared at the silhouette he had grown so accustomed to. He didn’t know what to say to help Satori understand that he was not upset to be here with him. He knew he wasn’t the smartest man, but it frustrated him that it always seems like when he was needed the most, words failed him, usually when Satori was involved. 

“I am weird, I know I am no one's first choice but...” He shook his head like he was trying to clear away thoughts. He looked at Ushijima and wrapped his long arms around his neck before leaning in to kiss him. ‘I shouldn’t be doing this...’ He thought to himself. ‘Wakatoshi is going to hate me...’ He knew he should pull away and apologize but he couldn’t. He had wanted to do this for years and now, Wakatoshi wasn’t trying to stop him. Even this served to remind Satori that he could be a good partner to Ushijima, but that Ushijima would never pick someone like him. 

Satori’s arms slowly fell away as he sloppily kissed his friend before he reached up and grabbed Ushijima’s face lightly. All he could think of as he continued to kiss him was the hope he felt burning in his chest, longing for some kind of response from Ushijima, a hint that he was doing the right thing. He almost jumped when the taller male returned the gesture their mouths moving in sync with each other. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up again. He would be fine with dying right then and there in Ushijima’s arms.


End file.
